Bill sponsor state Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Grosse Tete, said the legislation is needed to protect the health and lives of the people who work in casinos and bars. He said every year 1,100 people die in Louisiana because of second-hand smoke.State Sen. Butch Gautreaux, D-Morgan City: “This is a public safety issue. There’s a lot of people whose lives are put in danger because of the smoking they cannot control to be around.” He urged rejection of an amendment to include Louisiana’s three Indian casinos that operate as Indian casinos are sovereign nations. The Indian casino amendment died when 10 senators voted for it while 24 voted against.

May 15, 2010 - The Bulgarian Healthcare Commission has decided to reduce the size of bars/restaurants that will be allowed to permit smoking on their whole premises. The Commission announced Thursday, May 13th that they would reduce the permitted size from 100 square meters to 50 sq.m, meaning that any bars/restaurants over the size of 50 sq.m will have to provide a separate isolate room for smokers.

This decision came after the Commission reviewed changes to the Health Act regarding smoking, before the second reading of the new bill is held in the Bulgarian Parliament. The final changes mean that there will be a full smoking ban in public places on June 1, while just 24 hours later on June 2, smoking will be allowed under certain conditions. It was also revealed that for all bars/restaurants that only work at night there will be no requirement to provide a separate room for smoking.

The new Bulgarian Health Minister Anna-Maria Borisova backed parliament's decision to loosen up smoking ban in public places in Bulgaria. A majority of 85 Bulgarian MPs (members of parliament) voted Wednesday, April 28th in favor of the motion to ease ban on smoking in all indoor public places (53 MPs were against the proposal while 5 abstained from voting). (Bulgaria - to loosen smoking ban to start June 1, 2010..)

May 15, 2010 - Although the number of indoor safe havens for smokers has shrunk drastically, one North Carolina city has refrained from creating a new no-smoking area outdoors as well.

On Thursday, May 13th the Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen declined a proposal to ban smoking on the beach. Instead, the board voted 3-2 to increase the littering fine for discarded cigarette butts from $100 to $250. The decision might seem like a "win some/lose some" outcome for smokers, but it also reflects an unfortunate aspect of some government actions: the tendency to single out socially unpopular activities.

The health risks associated with tobacco use are well known, and many beachgoers might find the smell of smoke an intolerable irritant. At the same time, do Wrightsville Beach officials have a rational basis for decreeing that, as litter, a cigarette filter qualifies as more objectionable than, say, a Styrofoam cup? Is a carelessly discarded butt 150 percent worse than a carelessly discarded bottle and therefore deserving of a fine 150 percent greater?

Or did three of the five town aldermen simply see an easy political target and proceed to kick sand in its face?

North Carolina is the leading tobacco growing and tobacco manufacturing state in the country.

The FDA is developing a report on the risks of menthol flavoring and issuing a recommendation based on its findings. Fitch said that it believes it is difficult to conclude that menthol cigarettes are more harmful than unflavored cigarettes. But the risk for tobacco companies, Fitch said, is that the FDA could give more weight to studies that find menthol cigarettes harmful based on better data collection, study methodology and other factors in those studies.

The outcome, regulations and timeline of enforcement stemming from the review are still uncertain. But Fitch said it poses "significant" risks for companies that sell menthol cigarettes.

May 15, 2010 - Researchers from the New York Medical College; Valhalla, NY, demonstrate that 'safe' cigarettes are as hazardous as tobacco.

Using the same technique they developed to document the harmful effects of tobacco products, a team of researchers found that cigarettes made without tobacco or nicotine may be more carcinogenic because they actually induce more extensive DNA damage than tobacco products. The technique has been awarded U.S. patent No. 7,662,565.

May 14, 2010 - Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said during an interview on the Cadena Ser television station that she believes Spanish society is “mature enough” to accept a total ban on smoking in all public places.

Jiménez, has said that a new, more-widespread ban on smoking in public places would be introduced by January 1 at the latest. At the beginning of 2006, Spain banned tobacco smoking in most enclosed public places but only restricted it in bars and restaurants. (Spain's anti-smoking law has no effect)

The new law would prohibit smoking in all enclosed public areas, such as bars and restaurants, though hotels would be able to reserve some of their rooms for smokers.The government is also studying the question of smoking in outdoor public areas, such as terrace bars and sports stadiums.

There was no further word on the question of compensation for the many catering establishments that installed smoking areas with extractor fans in line with the smoking restrictions introduced four years ago. Jiménez has so far ruled out any compensation for these businesses.

More than 55,000 people die from smoking-related diseases in Spain every year. The minister calculated that 70% of the Spanish population are in favour of a total ban.

May 14, 2010 - Dubai: United Arab Emirates (UAE - federation of seven emirates) - the anti-tobacco federal law which will strictly prohibit smoking in certain public places and make it more expensive, should be in place by September a senior official said Wednesday, May 12th.

Dr Wedad Al Maidour, head of the tobacco control team, said a meeting was held Wednesday at the Ministry of Health to chalk out the draft laws. "The first draft will be ready this month and the Minister will present it to the cabinet for approval," she said, adding that by September the law should be in full force.

Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Health, said after the first meeting that cooperation among social organisations was important to educate the young about the dangers of smoking. "The UAE gives great concern to health policies and works on developing them according to the requirements and demands of modern times. Such policies would definitely have a direct impact on health practices, medical standards in order to raise the health sector and provide health care quality services".

Dr Mahmoud Fikri, executive director for Health Policies at the Ministry, pointed out that tobacco consumption in the Gulf region is an economic, social and health burden. He also cited reasons as trade liberalisation, direct foreign investment and other factors such as global marketing, tobacco advertising and promotion, smuggled cigarettes for the increase of the tobacco ‘pandemic'.

Click to enlarge.. May 14, 2010 - Massachusetts is poised to become the first state in the nation to force retailers to prominently display graphic warnings about the perils of smoking right where cigarettes are sold — at tobacco sales racks and next to cash registers.

Images of ominously darkened lungs, damaged brains, and diseased teeth could start appearing before the end of the year in more than 9,000 convenience stores, pharmacies, and gas stations, if a proposal by the state Department of Public Health is approved as expected. Other posters would direct smokers to where they can get help to stamp out their habit.

The initiative needs the approval of the state Public Health Council — an appointed panel of doctors, disease trackers, and consumer activists — but board members yesterday expressed unequivocal support.

Retailers who refuse to display the signs within 2 feet of tobacco displays and cash registers could face fines of $100 to $300.

A retail industry group reacted yesterday with dismay, arguing that cramped corner stores are already burdened by too many regulatory dictums.

“If somebody is trying to quit smoking and they go back to the store and they’re tempted — oh, just one pack — we hope this will help them make a different choice," said Lois Keithly, director of the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program.The campaign is being underwritten by $316,000 in federal stimulus money from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which will allow the state to provide the materials to retailers without charge.

The maker of Marlboro and other top-selling brands, Philip Morris USA, said it believes warnings should be uniform nationally and established by the federal government, which has been given expanded authority over tobacco marketing.

In New York, the graphic signs have met with little resistance from retailers and consumers, said Anne Pearson, an attorney with the city’s Bureau of Tobacco Control. “There’s a large body of evidence showing these graphic images are very effective,’’ Pearson said. “They can communicate information in a way that text just can’t, and they can also communicate a message to people regardless of their level of literacy and regardless of the language they speak.’’

The Massachusetts Public Health Council is expected to vote on the graphic posters in August, but the only misgiving members expressed yesterday was whether the campaign would be rendered in enough languages to reach the state’s increasingly diverse population. “We need to help our immigrant populations deal with this,’’ said Dr. Michele David, a council member.

The regulations will vary, depending on whether stores have tobacco displays or, instead, keep cigarettes and other tobacco products behind the counter. The biggest signs — those displayed next to racks freighted with tobacco goods — will measure 8 1/2-by-11-inches; cash register signs will be smaller. Regardless of the size, the intent, tobacco control specialists said, is the same: to help the 77 percent of Massachusetts smokers who say they want to quit finally do it.

Cigarette tax supporters saw the passage as the end of a more than 10-year journey to raise the levy on cigarettes.

The tax is expected to raise $125 million in new revenue, which is supposed to be dedicated to health care for the poor in South Carolina.

If the importance of the vote were in question, Orangeburg Sen. John Matthews, came into the Senate Chamber for the first time in more than a month, in a wheel chair and on a cane, to cast a vote. Matthews, the longest serving African American in the Senate, has been out with a back injury.

That’s because South Carolina lawmakers today overrode a veto by Gov. Mark Sanford and raised the state’s tobacco tax, which had been the nation’s lowest, from 7 cents per pack of cigarettes to 57 cents. The tax hike, effective July 1, is expected to raise nearly $125 million for the state’s Medicaid program.

Click to enlarge any image..May 13, 2010 - The Cabinet will discuss today, May 13th means of implementing a ban on smoking in public and the places to be included under the decision, a top government official told The Jordan Times on Monday, May 10th.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and Government Spokesperson Nabil Sharif said the Cabinet will also define the stages through which the ban will be implemented in those places where implementation will be gradual.

The Cabinet on Sunday, May 9th decided to ban smoking in ministries and government institutions as well as public places as of May 25, in accordance to the Public Health Law that prohibits smoking in public places.

The Ministry of Health started implementing the Public Health Law prohibiting smoking in public places gradually from the beginning of last year, banning smoking in public institutions in January 2009, but the law was not enforced.

According to the law, public places include hospitals, healthcare centres, schools, cinemas, theatres, libraries, museums, public and non-governmental buildings, public transport vehicles, airports, closed playgrounds, lecture halls and any other location to be determined by the health minister.

The law also stipulates that any person caught smoking in a public place is subject to between one week and one month imprisonment or a JD15 (21.14 USD)-JD25 (35.24 USD) fine. The same penalties apply to those who sell cigarettes to underage youths.

The Jordan Restaurants Association (JRA) requested a postponement of the ban to conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing the law and people’s acceptance of it. According to the results of the study, which was finalised in February, a majority of those surveyed, including non-smokers, said they were against the ban.

In the survey, 50 per cent of non-smoking restaurant customers and 33 per cent of non-smokers who patronise coffee shops said they opposed the law. The study also indicated that among non-smokers, 56 per cent of coffee shop customers and 66 per cent of restaurant clientele suggested allocating special areas for smokers rather than a complete ban.

Bassam Hijjawi, director of the Ministry of Health’s primary health directorate, told The Jordan Times that the ministry will hold a meeting this week with JRA representatives to discuss the plan that the association submitted earlier this year.

However, JRA President Zeid Goussous asserted that the ban on smoking in restaurants can only be implemented gradually. “Immediate prohibition will not work. It should be implemented over three to five years,” Goussous said yesterday, adding that there should be a campaign educating people about the law before it is implemented.

May 13, 2010 - Authority to regulate Internet cigarette sales made from an American Indian reservation in another state was upheld Wednesday in a ruling by the Oregon Court of Appeals.

Scott Maybee, an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation of Indians in New York state, had argued Oregon law did not apply to the reservation and he was subject only to federal law. The court rejected his claims, ruling that Oregon law did not regulate his business operations on the reservation, and instead affected only the products his business sold in Oregon.

In an opinion by Presiding Judge David Schuman, the Court of Appeals said that "state courts may exercise jurisdiction in civil cases involving Native Americans and relating to conduct that extends beyond the reservation's boundaries."

As a result of enforcement action, Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers also said in that report the Oregon Department of Revenue collected more than $680,000 in past-due taxes from consumers who purchased from Maybee's sites.

We find that smoking inside a private car will continue to be legal in Finland. In this respect at least, the government bill to expand the existing smoking ban will not receive the approval of Parliament. The Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Law says in its report that the ban would penetrate so deeply into people’s private lives that it could only be passed in connection with amendments to the Constitution. More the committee also implies that banning smoking in one’s own car is such a drastic measure that it would not be in correct proportion to the aim of the move, which is to improve the nation’s health. The Committee says in its statement that symbolic lawmaking should be avoided: “There is also reason to suspect that in reality the monitoring of such a ban could not be carried out effectively”.

Other changes the Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Law wants certain changes to the article in the (law on tobacco) bill that would ban the displaying of tobacco products and brands in retail outlets. The banning of displaying brands and trademarks, in particular, has to do with laws on property protection, the Committee points out. Instead of introducing a total display ban, the Committee feels that the law should be toned down in such a way that a customer could familiarise himself with a catalogue of the available tobacco products and take a separate list of the products with him.

The government had argued that displaying the products could induce impulse buying, especially among those who have decided to quit or are trying to quit smoking.The new law on tobacco will be put before Parliament once the Parliamentary Social Affairs and Health Committee has finished its report on it.

After the amendment, the sale of tobacco products to individuals under the age of 18 would be illegal. The smoking ban will broaden to include outdoor concerts and hotel rooms.

May 12, 2010 - The lenient tobacco control and regulation in Botswana has prompted the University of Botswana to enter into an agreement with the Africa Tobacco Control Regional Initiative (ATCRI) in the Africa Tobacco Situational Analysis (ATCSA) Project. Botswana is part of of six countries identified by ATCRI to receive in-country support for tobacco Control scans and research on tobacco control and regulation.

The purpose of this research would be to identify impediments to tobacco control and use findings to advocate for stricter measures as guided by the priority intervention areas of the WHO Framework Intervention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The FCTC calls for stringent policies on tobacco taxation ban on advertising of tobacco products, smoke-free areas, illegal trade and use of graphics to warn against effects of tobacco products.

May 12, 2010 - Today, May 11th Minnesota's leading health groups applauded Governor Tim Pawlenty for taking another step to protect youth from harmful tobacco products. This afternoon, the Governor signed into law the Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act of 2010, which updates Minnesota laws to address new generations of tobacco products.

Effective August 1, 2010, these changes apply existing state tobacco taxes and regulations to new smokeless tobacco products, which attract young customers because they are low-cost, come in candy flavors and sometimes resemble mints and breath strips. Specifically, the Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act of 2010:* Expands the definition of tobacco products to include any product that contains tobacco and is intended for human consumption* Requires all tobacco products to be sold behind the counter so they are not easily accessible to youth* Prevents the sale of new tobacco products and e-cigarettes to youth

"Broad bipartisan support of this law ensures Minnesota will keep pace with the tobacco industry's aggressive marketing and ability to take advantage of legal loopholes," said David Willoughby, Chief Executive Officer of ClearWay Minnesota(SM). "The Governor's signature is an important first step in protecting our kids from new and addictive smokeless tobacco products.

"But our work is far from done," Willoughby continued. "Tobacco products remain accessible, affordable and attractive to young people and the consequences are costly. We need to continue to advocate policy solutions that will reduce the harm of tobacco in Minnesota."

May 12, 2010 - Bulgaria’s Energy, Economy and Tourism Minister, Traicho Traikov, has revealed that the legal analysis and privatization evaluation of the state tobacco company Bulgartabac. Bulgartabac will be completed in the next 50 days.

Traikov revealed that there had been a 2 month delay in the process due to an appeal by a contestant in the bid to become the official consultant, after Citigroup Global Markets Limited was awarded the role in February. He also added that a buyer for Bulgartabac would probably be chosen by the end of the year.

The Bulgarian Privatization Agency announced in February that Citigroup Global Markets Limited had been picked after four companies had originally bid for the consultant role including a tie-in between KBC Securities and Tokushev & Co, Raiffeisen investments- Kamburov and Renaissance Securities. (Bulgaria - Citigroup chosen as consultant for sale of Bulgartabac..)Citigroup Global Markets Limited represents the European investment banking arm of US-based financial services giant Citigroup. Its activities include underwriting equities and fixed-income products, equity research, and banking services for multinational corporations, middle-market enterprises, and small businesses.

May 12, 2010 - Effective May 10, 2010 Lorillard Inc. raised wholesale prices on Newport and its other premium brands by 4.5 cents per pack, which equates to a 2% to 3% price increase, Nik Modi, analyst with UBS Investment Research, New York, said in a note to investors. It raised Old Gold prices by 8 cents per pack, he added.

While both PM USA and Reynolds raised prices last week, Modi—who anticipated the Lorillard increase—said, "We remind investors that Lorillard took a 4.5-cent price increase previously in February, which was not matched by the industry."

In this round of price increases, Lorillard left the Maverick brand unchanged, Modi said. "Maverick has been a source of volume share gains for the past several quarters; however, we note that in February, Lorillard raised Maverick pricing by 4.5 cents per pack in February."

May 12, 2010 - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford fulfilled his promise Tuesday, May 11th to veto a bill that would have increased the nation's lowest cigarette tax by 50 cents per pack, and called for legislators not to override it.

Sanford was joined by House lawmakers opposed to the bill, along with officials from the state's largest anti-tax group and a convenience store operators association, to announce the veto.

Sanford said that the legislation doesn't include a provision for tax relief that would counter the decrease. "In these difficult economic times," Sanford said, "we believe it would be sheer folly to impose the largest tax increase since 1985."

According to reports from The Associated Press, the House will decide as early as Wednesday, May 12th whether they will override Sanford's veto.

South Carolina's current cigarette tax of 7 cents has been in place since 1977, when a pack cost 48 cents. If the bill would have passed or if the veto is overriden, Missouri would have the lowest cigarette tax at 17 cents a pack, according to figures from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (Missouri - one of the most tobacco-friendly state in the U.S.A.)

Rhode Island currently has the highest cigarette tax, with $3.46 a pack.

The bill's supporters say that the tax hike would create nearly $5 million for cancer research programs and anti-smoking programs. It would also generate $1 million for agriculture product marketing.

And according to The Herald, of Rock Hill, S.C., the tax hike would generate $125 million, primarily for a Medicaid trust fund which could be used when money from the economic stimulus package runs out in July 2012.

But Sanford said the money used from the tax won't be enough to fund Medicare programs, adding that more comprehensive health care reform is necessary. "And indeed this tax hike may end up exacerbating the current problem by pushing needed reform that much further down the road," Sanford said.The veto also comes on the heels of a recent national study from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention that ranked South Carolina 34th in the number of adult smokers and 37th when it comes to smokers ages 12-17. (CDC - Smoking & Tobacco Use - South Carolina)

CDC officials say that cigarette tax increases, along with anti-tobacco campaigns and laws that ban smoking in public and indoor places, can reduce U.S. smoking rates.

“Manufacturing of cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes, of tobacco or of tobacco substitutes” have been put under the list of sectors where FDI is prohibited.The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion made changes in the Consolidated FDI Policy, dated March 31, to prohibit foreign investment in the sector.

The Centre took the decision to enhance public accountability towards proliferation of the anti-smoking regime in the country.

The decision to ban FDI is the latest in the government’s long-standing drive against smoking. In 2008, the government had banned smoking at public places and put a curb on tobacco advertisements.The proposal was mooted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

Earlier, 100 percent FDI was permitted in cigarette manufacturing, but an industrial licence was needed and the proposals required to be approved by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).

The government had stopped granting industrial licences for cigarette manufacturing.

Global tobacco majors Philip Morris International (PMI) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI) had deplored as as “discriminatory,” the government’s decision to ban FDI in cigarettes.

May 11, 2010 - Amid growing evidence that secondhand smoke (shs, involuntary, environment tobacco, ets, sidestream) is causing cancers and possibly a range of other health problems in pets, many groups are intensifying efforts to encourage people to stop smoking — if not for their own sake, then for their animals'.

Veterinarians are redoubling efforts to warn smokers of the dangers to their pets, and smoking-cessation programs, including Utah Tobacco Prevention and Control, Breathe New Hampshire and smokefreesociety.org, have posted fact sheets or printable fliers on their websites. Some groups are sharing information where animal aficionados gather, including at last month's Dachshund Dash in Oklahoma City, where the Oklahoma County Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition warned of secondhand smoke's dangers to dogs.

And the ASPCA last month linked up with American Legacy Foundation, a stop-smoking group, to spread the word to the pet lovers of the world.Studies have shown that toxins in secondhand smoke can cause lung and nasal cancer in dogs and malignant lymphoma in cats. "The evidence is striking," says Steven Hansen of the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center. "Most veterinarians believe pretty strongly secondhand smoke presents a strong danger to dogs and cats with pre-existing respiratory problems," he says. "And extrapolating, why would you expose a healthy animal?"

Although studies showing strong links between smoking and pets are limited to a few cancers, veterinary oncologist Aarti Sabhlok, who treats 40 or more cancer patients a week at San Francisco Veterinary Specialists, believes an "animal in an environment with constant exposure to a toxin, and that would include cigarette smoke, could be at greater risk of developing tumors."

It may seem odd to believe that people who continue to smoke despite the risks to themselves and others might pay heed when pets' health is jeopardized, "but we know people sometimes pay more attention to their pets' well-being," Hansen says.

Indeed, a Web-based survey of 3,293 adult pet owners published last year found that 48% were smokers or living with smokers, and 37% said clear evidence that smoking is harmful to their pets would motivate them to quit or ask the people they live with to quit; 14% said such evidence could prompt them to do all their smoking outside.